# Materials Characterization Paper

In support of the

Final Rulemaking:

Identification of Nonhazardous Seco ndary Materials That Are Solid Waste

Traditional Fuels and Key Derivatives

February 7, 2011



# 1 Introduction 1



# This document uses the best readily av ailable data to summarize the features,

composition, and characteristics of both tradit ional fuels used in stationary combustion

sources and their key derivatives. Refer to th e final rule for the types of fuels that are

defined as “traditional fuel” under the rule. This paper de scribes traditional fuels as fossil

fuels (coal, fuel oil and natural gas) and wood . Derivatives include:

• Coal-based derivatives: bituminous coke, coal tar oil, blast furnace gas, and

coke oven gas, and

• Petroleum-based derivatives: petroleum coke, refine ry gas, and asphalts.

For each fuel, this memorandum presents the following information to the extent

readily available:

1. Chemical Composition . Fuels are often described by an ultimate and/or

proximate analysis. An ultimate analysis is an elemental analysis of major

components, typically carbon, hydrogen, oxyge n, nitrogen and sulfur as well as

ash. 2 

# Meanwhile a proximate analysis determines the moisture, volatile matter,

fixed carbon and ash content of the fuel. Gaseous fuels and some liquid fuels can

also be described by their constituent compounds. In general, the compositional

analysis is presented on a weight ba sis for liquid and solid fuels and on a

volumetric basis for gaseous fuels.

2. Heating Value (Calorific Value). The heating value of a fuel is its energy value

or its heat of combustion (i.e., the ener gy released when a unit mass (or volume)

of the fuel is burned). The heating value of a fuel may be measured according to

its higher heating value ( HHV) or its lower heating value (LHV). The HHV, or

the gross heat of combustion, is the ener gy released when the products of

combustion are brought to a standard te mperature and any water produced from

the process is condensed. The LHV, also referred to as the net heat of

1 

# EPA intends to maintain this paper to assist in the implementation of the final rule.

2 

# For example a typical ultimate analysis might be: 60% carbon, 15% hydrogen, 10% oxygen, 3% nitrogen,

2% sulfur, and 10% ash. Ash, while part of the ultima te analysis, is shown separately because it represents

a fraction of the fuel that does not burn.

# 2 combustion, treats the moisture produced from combustion as vapor. Unless

specified otherwise, all heating values presented in this document are HHVs and

will be presented on an as-received basis (i.e., with moisture and ash included).

3. Composition of Non-Fuel Constituents and Impurities . Non- fuel constituents

include gases with no fuel value such as nitrogen, carbon dioxide and inert gases

as well as moisture and ash. Impurities (i.e., contaminants) may include sulfur

compounds and trace metals such as mercury, vanadium, cadmium, chromium

and lead. Impurity levels are typically presented as parts per million by weight

(ppm) or parts per million by volume (ppmv)

We present this information by the major fuel groupings outlined above. Section

2 describes coal and its derivatives. Pe troleum-derived fuels are detailed in

Section 3, while Section 4 presents in formation on natural gas. Section 5

provides the composition and othe r characteristics of wood.

Limitations of this Analysis :

• This document presents information that is readily available from engineering

reference publications and re putable online sources. A search of scientific, peerreviewed journals was not performed due to time and budget constraints. We

recognize that this paper could possibly be enhanced with additional research and a

formal peer review. EPA intends to maintain the material characterization paper

for traditional fuels for use in implementation.

• When possible, we present composition and heating values that are representative

of the values associated with a given fu el. However, for some fuels where the

available data were limited, we present data from specific samples that were readily

available. These sample data may or may not be representative.

# 3 2 Coal & Derivatives

2.1 Coal



# The ASTM (Method D-388) classification for coal ranks coal into four primary

classes based on its vola tile matter and fixed carbon content as well as its heating value.

The four categories (highest to lowest rank) are:

I. Anthracite

II. Bituminous

III. Sub-bituminous

IV. Lignite

Each of these classes is further divided into subclasses by the ASTM

classification. In general the higher rank co als have higher carbon content and lower

hydrogen and oxygen content in comparison to th e lower ranked coals. Most coals burned

in combustion units are either sub-bituminous or bituminous.

Anthracite: Anthracite coal is glossy blac k, hard, and by definition has a fixed

carbon content of more than 86% (dry, as h free basis) and a volatile content of

less than 14% (dry, ash free basis). Heating values typi cally are on the order of

13,000 Btu/lb. Anthracite coal is primarily found in northeastern Pennsylvania,

and represents less than 2% of the US coal demonstrated reserve base. 3



# Bituminous : Bituminous coal in general ha s lower fixed carbon (<86%, dry, ash

free) and higher volatiles than anthracite . This coal has banded layers that

alternate between glossy black and dull bl ack. Heating values for bituminous coal

range from 10,500 to 14,000 Btu/lb. 4 

# Bituminous coals are the most abundant

class of coal in the US and make up 53% of the demonstrated US coal reserve.

Bituminous coal is found in many states ea st of the Mississippi River, including

Illinois, Kentucky, West Vi rginia, and Pennsylvania.

Sub-bituminous : These coals are also black in color but with less banding and a

higher moisture content than bituminous coals. Heating values range from 8,500

to 11,000 Btu/lb. Although heating values are lower than for bituminous coal,

sub-bituminous varieties in the US tend to have a relatively lo wer sulfur content

than bituminous coals. Sub-bituminous co al represents approximately 37% of US

coal reserves; sub-bituminous reserves ar e highest in the states of Montana and

Wyoming.

Lignite: This is the lowest ranke d coal. Lignite has a brown- black color and is soft

relative to the other type s of coal. Heating values may range from 4000-8000

3 

# http://www.eia.doe.gov/cneaf/c oal/reserves/reserves.html , Accessed Nov 2008

4 

# Coal’s color is indicative of its age. As coal ages in the ground, its color changes from brown to dull

black to glossy black.

# 4 Btu/lb. Lignite is found in North Dakot a, Montana and Texas and accounts for

about 9% of US coal reserves.

Table 2-1 presents composition and heati ng value data for select US Coals for

each of the classes described above. 5



# , 6 

# The table includes sample values from the

literature as well as constituent data reported to EPA as part of the Clean Air Act Section

112 Boiler MACT rulemaking and the Sect ion 129 rulemaking for commercial and

industrial solid waste in cinerators. Note that the data in Table 2-1 are sample values;

properties may vary widely within each rank.

Chemical Composition. As indicated in Table 2-1, most ra nks of coal consist primarily of

carbon.

Non- Fuel Constituents . Moisture and ash represent the non-combustible constituents in

coal. The primary components of ash are si licon dioxide, aluminum oxide, ferric oxide,

and calcium oxide. (See Table 2-1)

Contaminants. One trace constituent of particular concern in coal is mercury. The

mercury content of coal ranges from less than 0.1 ppm to 1.8 ppm with a median value of

0.11 ppm for the sample data in Tabl e 2-1 obtained from the literature. 7 

# Approximately

80% of these samples tested below 0.25 ppm. Co al may also contain several other metals

such as arsenic, chromium and manganese as shown in Table 2-1. 8



# Trace Organics : Data on trace organics in U.S. coal are not readily available. One study

from Spain, however, analyzed five Spanish and South African coal samples for volatile

organics. 9 

# Of the several organics detected, only two were 40 CFR 261 Appendix VIII

hazardous constituents. Results for these tw o organics are shown in Table 2-1.

Additional information on the characterist ics of coal is available in the US

Geological Survey coal quality database , which has information on over 7,000 Coal

samples. 10

5 

# Avallone, E.A., & Baumeister, T.(eds), “Mark’s Standard Handbook for Mechanical Engineers,” 9 th



# Edition, 1987, p 7-19

6 

# The values shown in the table only describe the specific samples shown although they were selected to be

representative of the rank in general.

7 

# US Geological Survey, 2001 “Mer cury in Coal- Abundance, Distribu tion, and Modes of Occurrence,

USGS Fact Sheet FS-095-01

8 

# Davidson, R. A., “Trace Elements in Coal” 1996, Energeia, v.7, No.3, University of Kentucky, Center for

Applied Research.

9 

# Fernandez-Martinez , G., et al, 2000, “Determination of Volatile Organic Compounds in Coal, Fly Ash,

and Slag Samples by Direct Thermal Desorption/GC/MS, Analusis, v 28, pp 953-959

10 

# Bragg,L., et al, USGS Coal Quality (COALQUAL) Database: Version 2.0,

http://energy.er.usgs.gov/products/databases/CoalQual/index.htm , accessed Nov 2008.5Table 2-1: Composition of Various Coal TypesCOMPONENTUNITSSample Values from LiteratureValues as reported in EPA/OAQPS Survey9COAL – Int’lSampleAVG(RANGE)1,2,3ANTHRACITE(Lackawanna,PA)5,6BITUMINOUS(Marion,WV)5,6,7SUBBUTUMINOUS(Sheridan,WY)5,6,8LIGNITE(McLean,ND)5,6COAL:BITUMINOUS(AVG)4,10COAL:BITUMINOUS(RANGE)4COAL: SUBBITUMINOUS(AVG)4,10COAL: SUBBITUMINOUS(RANGE)4Water content wt%5.2(1.7 – 17) 5.3 2.3 22.2 36.8 - - - -Volatiles wt%37.8(7.9 - 55.4) 4.1 36.5 33.2 27.8 2.37,8- 22.27,9-Ash wt%9.4(2.9 - 17.7) 9.6 5.2 4.3 5.9 5.27,8- 4.37,9-Caloric Value:HHV Btu/lb32,390(26,232 -35,688)12,880 14,040 9,600 7,000- - - -Caloric Value:LHV calc Btu/lb31,324(25,183 -34,870)- - - -Elementsbelow are notadditive withabovecomponentsAll Valuesbelow aremeasured ona dry basisAll Values below are measuredon an as received basisCarbon (C)mg/kg(ppm)783,000(605,000 -916,000) 797,000 784,000 539,000 406,000 - - - -Hydrogen (H)mg/kg(ppm)49,200(35,000 -58,300) 29,000 55,000 69,000 69,000 - - - -Oxygen (O)mg/kg(ppm)(132,000)23,000 -337,000 61,000 85,000 334,000 451,000 - - - -Nitrogen (N)mg/kg(ppm)14,100(7,600 -19,000) 9,000 16,000 10,000 6,000 12,700 9800 - 15400 7,800 7000 - 9100Sulfur (S)mg/kg(ppm)13,900(3,100 -57,900) 8,000 8,000 5,000 9,000 19,700 5800 - 43600 7,700 2100 - 184006Table 2-1: Composition of Various Coal TypesCOMPONENTUNITSSample Values from LiteratureValues as reported in EPA/OAQPS Survey9COAL – Int’lSampleAVG(RANGE)1,2,3ANTHRACITE(Lackawanna,PA)5,6BITUMINOUS(Marion,WV)5,6,7SUBBUTUMINOUS(Sheridan,WY)5,6,8LIGNITE(McLean,ND)5,6COAL:BITUMINOUS(AVG)4,10COAL:BITUMINOUS(RANGE)4COAL: SUBBITUMINOUS(AVG)4,10COAL: SUBBITUMINOUS(RANGE)4Chlorine (Cl)mg/kg(ppm)1,440(30 - 7,380) - 1,240 100 - 3500 140 10 - 398Fluorine (F)mg/kg(ppm)160(130 – 180) - 66.8 5 - 158 52 44 - 65Bromine (Br)mg/kg(ppm) - - - - - -Aluminum (Al)mg/kg(ppm)8,882(146 -15,800) - - - - -Arsenic (As)mg/kg(ppm)8(5 – 11) 0.5-80 4.419 0.49 - 17 0.913 0.4 - 1.7Boron (B)mg/kg(ppm) 47 - - - - -Barium (Ba)mg/kg(ppm) 290 - - - - -Beryllium (Be)mg/kg(ppm) - 0.1-15 1.353 0.013 - 4 0.377 0.1 - 0.9Calcium (Ca)mg/kg(ppm)3,750(1,800 -5,700) - - - - -Cadmium (Cd)mg/kg(ppm)0.8(0.6 – 1) 0.1-3 1.131 0.011 - 5.47 0.147 0.1 - 0.4Cobalt (Co)mg/kg(ppm)3.3(2 - 4.5) 0.5-30 6.512 0.056 - 40.9 1.703 1.2 - 2.3Chromium (Cr)mg/kg(ppm)10(2 – 18) 0.5-60 15.669 2.5 - 121.3 5.597 1.6 - 11.3Copper (Cu)mg/kg(ppm)20(17 – 23) - - - - -Iron (Fe)mg/kg(ppm)4,313(2,940 -6,900) - - - - -Mercury (Hg)mg/kg(ppm) 2 0.1-1.8 0.101 0.02 - 0.75 0.056 0.04 - 0.077Table 2-1: Composition of Various Coal TypesCOMPONENTUNITSSample Values from LiteratureValues as reported in EPA/OAQPS Survey9COAL – Int’lSampleAVG(RANGE)1,2,3ANTHRACITE(Lackawanna,PA)5,6BITUMINOUS(Marion,WV)5,6,7SUBBUTUMINOUS(Sheridan,WY)5,6,8LIGNITE(McLean,ND)5,6COAL:BITUMINOUS(AVG)4,10COAL:BITUMINOUS(RANGE)4COAL: SUBBITUMINOUS(AVG)4,10COAL: SUBBITUMINOUS(RANGE)4Potassium (K)mg/kg(ppm)1,686(140 - 3,610) - - - - -Magnesium(Mg)mg/kg(ppm)1,150(800 - 1,500) - - - - -Manganese(Mn)mg/kg(ppm)132(53 – 210) 5-300 25.977 7 - 223 10.926 3.9 - 25.3Molybdenum(Mo)mg/kg(ppm)1.8(1.5 – 2) - - - - -Sodium (Na)mg/kg(ppm)723(300 - 1,420) - - - - -Nickel (Ni)mg/kg(ppm)10(3 – 17) 0.5-50 15.363 2.26 - 34 4.859 2.1 - 15.6Phosphorus (P)mg/kg(ppm)245(160 – 330) - 161.921 0.069 - 1400 213.051 151 - 332Lead (Pb)mg/kg(ppm)14(7.4 – 20) 2.0-80 8.398 1.34 - 32 1.518 0.9 - 2.4Antimony (Sb)mg/kg(ppm) 3 0.05-10 11.070 0.027 - 235 0.146 0.1 - 0.2Selenium (Se)mg/kg(ppm) 2 0.2-10 2.162 0.42 - 6.49 1.197 0.5 - 2.2Silicon (Si)mg/kg(ppm)18,950(17,900 -20,000) - - - - -Tin (Sn)mg/kg(ppm) 1.2 - - - - -Strontium (Sr)mg/kg(ppm) 95 - - - - -Tellurium (Te)mg/kg(ppm) - - - - - -8Table 2-1: Composition of Various Coal TypesCOMPONENTUNITSSample Values from LiteratureValues as reported in EPA/OAQPS Survey9COAL – Int’lSampleAVG(RANGE)1,2,3ANTHRACITE(Lackawanna,PA)5,6BITUMINOUS(Marion,WV)5,6,7SUBBUTUMINOUS(Sheridan,WY)5,6,8LIGNITE(McLean,ND)5,6COAL:BITUMINOUS(AVG)4,10COAL:BITUMINOUS(RANGE)4COAL: SUBBITUMINOUS(AVG)4,10COAL: SUBBITUMINOUS(RANGE)4Titanium (Ti)mg/kg(ppm) 450 - - - - -Vanadium (V)mg/kg(ppm)17(7 – 27) - - - - -Zinc (Zn)mg/kg(ppm)15(14 – 15) - - - - -Ash Composition (% of Ash) (notadditive with above values)6Silicon Dioxide% ofAsh - 20-60 - - - -AluminumOxide% ofAsh - 10.0-35 - - - -Ferric Oxide% ofAsh - 5.0-35 - - - -Calcium Oxide% ofAsh - 1.0-20 - - - -MagnesiumOxide/TitaniumOxide/SodiiumOxide/PotassiumOxide% ofAsh - Trace - - - -TraceOrganics7dBenzene ppm - 5.0-38 - - - -Toluene ppm - 9.0-56 - - - -9Table 2-1: Composition of Various Coal TypesCOMPONENTUNITSSample Values from LiteratureValues as reported in EPA/OAQPS Survey9COAL – Int’lSampleAVG(RANGE)1,2,3ANTHRACITE(Lackawanna,PA)5,6BITUMINOUS(Marion,WV)5,6,7SUBBUTUMINOUS(Sheridan,WY)5,6,8LIGNITE(McLean,ND)5,6COAL:BITUMINOUS(AVG)4,10COAL:BITUMINOUS(RANGE)4COAL: SUBBITUMINOUS(AVG)4,10COAL: SUBBITUMINOUS(RANGE)4Notes:1. All figures reported as the averagecomposition of a group of coal types.Data reflects some non-U.S. sources of coal -Types of coal include anthracite, bituminous coal(Including UK HemHeath, Colombian El Cerajon, Illinois No. 6, Polish), daw mill coal, Iowa rawhide coal, KY No. 9, lignite, Pittsburg #8 HVAB coal, Polish low-sulphur coal,Rhenish brown coal, sub-bituminous coal, WV rank D.2. Phyllis, database for biomass and waste, http://www.ecn.nl/phyllis, Energy research Centre of the Netherlands3. Cells without ranges indicate that only one sample is used for measurement.4. (a) United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards (OAQPS). 2010b. Emissions Database for Boilers and Process HeatersContaining Stack Test, CEM, & Fuel Analysis Data Reportedunder ICR No. 2286.01 and ICR No. 2286.03 (version 5), EPA Docket/Document Number EPA-HQ-OAR-2002-0058-0789. April30, 2010; (b) United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards (OAQPS). 2010. CISWI 2009 Database Proposed Approach, EPADocket/Document Number EPA-HQ-OAR-2003-0119-0045. April 13, 2010.5. Trace metal levels and ash composition are average ranges forcoal and do not specifically refer to other samples presentedhere.6. (a) Avallone, E.A., & Baumeister, T.(eds), “Mark’s Standard Handbook for MechanicalEngineers,” 9th Edition, 1987, p 7-19; (b) US Geological Survey, 2001 “Mercury in CoalAbundance, Distribution, and Modes of Occurrence, USGS Fact Sheet FS-095-01; (c) Davidson, R. A., “Trace Elements in Coal” 1996, Energeia, v.7, No.3, University of Kentucky,Center for Applied Research; (d)Fernandez-Martinez , G., et al, 2000, “Determination of Volatile Organic Compounds in Coal, Fly Ash, and Slag Samples by Direct ThermalDesorption/GC/MS, Analusis, v 28, pp 953-959.7. Values represent a sample of bituminous coal from Marion, WV.8. Values represent a sample of sub-bituminous coal from Sheridon, WY.9. Database reports both as received and drybasis values. These values are as received.10. Some maximum values appeared unrealistically high, so average values are presented.11. Values represent average heating value for each sample. High and low heat values were not readily available.

# 10 2.2 Fuels Derived from Coal



# Bituminous Coke – Bituminous coke is

derived from the destructive distillation

or pyrolysis of bituminous coal. This

involves heating coal to very high

temperatures (over 1000 °C) in the

absence of air in a furnace. Much of the

moisture and volatile components are

driven off leaving behind a product high

in carbon. While coke is the desired end

product of the distillation/pyrolysis

process, fuel gases, tar and oil with fuel

value are also typically produced. A

large fraction of bituminous coke

(approximately 90%) is burned in blast

furnaces for steelmaking. The remainder

is largely used in foundries and for space

heating.

Table 2-2 shows the typical chemical

composition and heating value of

bituminous coke. Unsurprisingly, the

fixed carbon and ash content are much

higher than the corresponding values for

coal. The heating value of bituminous coke is comparable to coal. Table 2-2 also

presents composition and heating value estimat es for coke breeze, an undersized coke

(particle size < 15 mm), comprising about 5% of the total bituminous coke production.

Coke breeze is not suitable for firing in a bl ast furnace but is typically used for steam

generation. Information on the impurities cont ained in blast furnace coke is not readily

available, but such information is availabl e for coke breeze, as shown in Table 2-2. 11

11 

# Ocean Surveys Inc., 2005, Site Demonstration of the AQUABLOKTM Sediment Capping Technology,

http://www.hsrc-ssw.o rg/6MonthAppH.pdf , accessed November 2008

# 11 Coal Tar Oil : Coal tars are liquid products of th e carbonization process to produce coke.

They may range from free-flowing, low viscosity liquids to highly viscous coal tar pitch.

Table 2-3 shows an ultimate analysis of coal tar fuels CTF 50 and CTF 400. 12



# , 13 

# The

table also presents estimates of the hea ting value for CTF 50 and CTF 400, as well as

information on the non-fuel constituents and trace metals in these fuels.

Table 2-3 also presen ts viscosity values

for CTF 50 and CTF 400, expressed in

centistokes (cSt). For comparison, water

has a viscosity of about 1 cSt at 20°C

and a liquid with a viscosity of 2 cSt at

20° would have twi ce the viscosity of

water. 14



# Because coal tar oil is made up of a

complex mixture of more than a

thousand individual compounds,

fractional distillation of coal tar oil can

yield a spectrum of compounds for use

in resins, polymers, motor fuel, wax and

electrode compounds. 15



# Coke Oven Gas: Coke oven gas is the

gaseous non-condensable fraction

generated from the coke production

process. As the analysis (by component)

in Table 2-4 shows, coke oven gas is

primarily composed of hydrogen and methan e. The heating value is approximately 600

Btu/ft 3 

# and is about 55-60% that for na tural gas (on a volume basis).

Impurities in coke oven gas may include hydrogen sulfide, ammonia, and hydrogen

cyanide. 16



# , 17 

# Table 2-4 also shows the sp ecific gravity of coke oven gas. 18

12 

# Perry, R.H., Green, D.W., Mahoney, J.O., “Perry’s Chemical Engineers’ Handbook, 1997, 7 th 

# Edition,

McGraw Hill..

13 

# CTF stands for coal tar fuel. The designation CTF 50 and CTF 400 indicate the temperature to which the

oil must be pre-heated (50 °F and 400°F, respec tively) in order to be atomized in a burner.

14 

# Viscosity values shown is for kinematic viscosity = dynamic viscosity/density. Note viscosity decreases

with temperature for liquids.

15 

# Skov, E.R., et al, “Coal Tar Chemicals and Syncrude Oil Production from Low-Rank Coals using MildTemperature Pyrolysis,” Proc of AICHE Spring National Meeting, Houston, TX, April 2007. AICHE

Session 16002.

16 

# Kohl, A., et al, 1997 “Gas Purificatio n,” Gulf Profession al Publications.

17 

# Note that for many gaseous fuels, impurities su ch as ammonia, and hydrogen cyanide are mostly

removed prior to being used as a fuel in a boiler

18 

# Specific gravity is the ratio of the density of th e substance to a reference substance. The reference

substance is air for a gas and water for a liquid.

# 12 Blast Furnace Gas: Blast furnace gas is a low quality gas that is a by-product of the

blast furnace reduction process. Table 2-4 presents volumetric composition and heating

value estimates for this fuel. Although the heating value is low, the amount of gas

generated by blast furnaces makes it ec onomically feasible to recover the energy. 19 

# The

energy value is low because approximately 70% of the volume of this fuel is made up of

nitrogen and carbon dioxide. Blast furnace gas may include small quantities of impurities

including hydrogen cyanide. 20 

# Table 2-4 also shows the specific gravity of blast furnace

gas. Blast furnace gas is either burnt as fuel or flared.

19 

# Culp, A.W., 1979, “Principles of Energy Conversion,” McGraw Hill.

20 

# Gupta, C.K., 2006, Chemical Metallurg y: Principles and Practice,Wiley-VCH

# 13 3 Petroleum Fuels

This section presents characterizatio n data for fuels produced by petroleum

refineries as well as their derivatives. Although transporta tion fuels (e.g., gasoline and

diesel) make up most of the petroleum-based fu el sold in the U.S., this section focuses on

petroleum fuels utilized by st ationary combustion sources.

3.1 Fuel Oil



# The term fuel oil may refer to any product derived from petroleum that has

volatility lower than that of gasoline. The ASTM D396-2(a) specifica tion divides fuel oil

into several classes, from fuel oil N o.1 to fuel oil No. 6, based on boiling range,

composition, and other physical properties. Fuel oils are generally classified as either

distillate or residual based on whether they are vaporized in normal refining operations.

Usually, fuel oils No. 1 and 2 are distillate fuels; No. 5 and No. 6 fuel oils are residual

fuels, and No.4 is a blend of distillate and residual fuels. 21 

# Note that diesel has similar but

not identical properties and sp ecifications to fuel oil No.2.

Table 3-1 provides heating values and t ypical physical properties of various

classes of fuel oil such as flash point, specific gravity, API gravity, and viscosity. 22 

# The

flash point is the temperature to which the liquid must be heated to produce vapors that

flash but do not burn continuously. API gravity is calculated by:

5

. 131

60 @ 5

. 141

− = F gravity specific Gravity API

21 

# USEPA, “AP 42: Compilation of Air Pollution Emissi ons Factors, Vol I: Stationary Point and Area

Sources,” 5 th 

# Edition, 1995, Ch.1.3 Fuel Oil Combustion. Di stillate fuels are lighter, less viscous, and have

a lower boiling range when comp ared with residual fuels.

22 

# Property values from, Stultz & Kitto, eds, “Steam: It’s Generation and Use,” 40 th 

# Edition, 1992, p 8-14. 

# Table 3-1: Heating Values and Ty pical Properties of Fuel Oils

Fuel Oil

No. 1 Fuel Oil

No. 2 Fuel Oil

No. 4 Fuel Oil

No. 5 Fuel Oil

No. 6



# Heating Value (Btu/lb) 19800 19500 18800 18600 18200

Flash Point (Celsius) 38 38 55 55 65

Special Gravity 0.81-0.83 0.82- 0.89 0.87-0.97 0.92-0.97 0.92-1.02

API Gravity 40-44 28-40 15-30 14-22 7-22

Viscosity (cSt) 1 

# 1.4-2.2 2.0-3.6 6-27 30-160 90-640

1 

# Viscosity values are given at 38 degrees Celcius and at 50 degrees Celsius for Fuel Oil #6.

Sources: Stults & Kitto (1992), Perry et al. (1997), USEPA (1999)

# 14 Heating Values . Fuel oil heating values range from 18,000 to 20,000 Btu/lb or 130,000 to

150,000 Btu/gallon. As indicated in Table 3-1, residual fuel o ils are extremely viscous

and must be heated in order to be tr ansported and atomized in a burner.

Moving along the scale from No. 1 fuel oil to No . 6 fuel oil, the characteristics of fuel oil

changes as follows:

• The boiling point increases. For No. 1 o il, the boiling points of the different

constituents range from 150-300 °C, while for No. 6 oil this range is 200-550 °C.

• The density increases (i.e., API gravity decreases)

• Viscosity increases from an average of about 1.8 centist okes (cSt) for No. 1 Oil to

90-400 cSt for No. 6 oil.

• Heating values decrease slightly.

Composition: Fuel oils are primarily composed of hydrocarbons, specifically paraffins,

isoparafins, napthenes and aromatics. Ta ble 3-2 provides information on organic

compounds in various fuel oil types. Table 3- 3 gives elemental constituent concentrations

for various fuel oils and fuel oil mixtures.

Impurities : As indicated in Table 3-3, the heavier fu el oils have higher levels of sulfur

than the lighter fuel oils.

# 15 Table 3-2: Organic Compound Constituents in Fuel Oils

COMPONENT UNITS NO. 2

FUEL OIL 1 

# NO. 4

FUEL

OIL NO. 5

FUEL

OIL 1,2 

# NO. 6

FUEL OIL 1 

# NO. 2-6

FUEL

OIL 3 

# DIESEL

FUEL

Naphthalene ppm 2,000 -

4,000 - 34.30 - 3,500.00 -

C1-Naphthalene ppm - - 4,086.90 - - -

C2-Naphthalene ppm - - 4,865.40 - - -

C3-Naphthalene ppm - - 4,793.70 - - -

C4-Naphthalene ppm - - 2,688.50 - - -

Biphenyl ppm - - 3.50 - - -

Acenaphthylene ppm - - 4.10 - - -

Acenaphthene ppm - - 111.20 - - -

Fluorene ppm 3,600.00 - 216.00 - 220.00 -

C1-Fluorene ppm - - 658.80 - - -

C2-Fluorene ppm - - 1,277.00 - - -

C3-Fluorene ppm - - 1,243.80 - - -

Anthracene ppm - - 96.40 - - -

Phenanthrene(s) ppm 0 - 429 - 778.20 482 -

116,000 - -

C1-Phenanthrene/anthracene ppm - - 2116.3

- - -

C2-Phenanthrene/anthracene ppm - - 2,716.70 - - -

C3-Phenanthrene/anthracene ppm - - 1,923.30 - - -

C4-Phenanthrene/anthracene ppm - - 820.50 - - -

Dibenzothiophene ppm - - 25.70 - - -

C1-Dibenzothiophene ppm - - 1,396.10 - - -

C2-Dibenzothiophene ppm - - 2,155.90 - - -

C3-Dibenzothiophene ppm - - 1,975.50 - - -

Fluoranthene ppm 37.00 - 31.60 240.00 - -

Pyrene ppm 41.00 - 177.90 23.00 - -

C1-Fluoranthene/pyrene ppm - - 566.10 - - -

Benzo(a)anthracene ppm - - 41.10 - 1,900.00 -

Chrysene ppm 2.20 - 74.30 196.00 2,700.00 -

C1-Chrysene ppm - - 312.10 - - -

C2-Chrysene ppm - - 370.80 - - -

C3-Chrysene ppm - - 29.90 - - -

C4-Chrysene ppm - - 19.70 - - -

Benzo(b)fluoranthene ppm - - 11.00 - 540.00 -

Benzo(k)fluoranthene ppm - - 0.60 - - -

Benzo(e)pyrene ppm 0.10 - 29.80 10.00 - -

Benzo(a)pyrene ppm 0.60 - 19.30 44.00 960.00 -

# 16 Table 3-2: Organic Compound Constituents in Fuel Oils

COMPONENT UNITS NO. 2

FUEL OIL 1 

# NO. 4

FUEL

OIL NO. 5

FUEL

OIL 1,2 

# NO. 6

FUEL OIL 1 

# NO. 2-6

FUEL

OIL 3 

# DIESEL

FUEL

Perylene ppm - - 10.60 22.00 - -

Indeno(1,2,3-c,d)pyrene ppm - - 2.30 - - -

Dibenz(a,h)anthracene ppm - - 4.00 - - -

Benzo(g,h,i)perylene ppm - - 11.40 - - -

Methylnaphthalenes ppm 21,000.00 - - 26,000.00 - -

1-Methylphenanthrene ppm 173.00 - - 43.00 - -

2-Methylphenanthrene ppm 7,677.00 - - 828.00 - -

Benz(a)anthracene ppm 1.20 - - 90.00 - -

Triphenylene ppm 1.40 - - 31.00 - -

1-Methylnaphthalene ppm 8,200.00 - - - - -

2-Methylnaphthalene ppm 18,900.00 - - - - -

Dimethylnaphthalenes ppm 31,100 -

32,000 - - - - -

Trimethylnaphthalenes ppm 18,400.00 - - - - -

Benzenes ppm 103,000.00 - - 19,000.00 - -

Indans and tetralins ppm 73,000.00 - - 21,000.00 - -

Dinaphthenobenzenes ppm 46,000.00 - - 20,000.00 - -

Acenaphthenes ppm 38,000.00 - - 31,000.00 - -

Acenaphthalenes ppm 54,000.00 - - 70,000.00 - -

Notes:

1. Irwin, R.J., M. VanMouwerik, L. Stevens, M.D. S eese, and W. Basham. 1997. Environmental Contaminants

Encyclopedia. National Park Service, Water Resources Division, Fort Collins, Colorado.

2. The listed PAHs and alkyl PAHs were analyzed by a GC/MS/SIM NOAA protocol [828] modified with methylene

chloride extraction for use with water samples (Original citation from Irwin, et al . 1997: Guy Denoux, Geochemical and

Environmental Research Group, Texas A& M University, personal communication, 1996). Details of PAH content (ng/mg

or ppm) in one fresh sample of NSFO (O riginal citation from Irwin, et al. 1997: Fuel Oil 5, Chuck Rafkind, National Park

Service, Personal Communication, 1996)

3. (a) Stultz & Kitto, eds, 1992 “Steam: It’s Generation and Use,” 40th Edition; (b) Perry, R.H., Green, D.W., Mahoney,

J.O., “Perry’s Chemical Engineers’ Handbook, 1997, 7th Ed ition, McGraw Hill; (c) USEPA, 1999 “Final Technical

Support Document for Hazardous MACT Standards,” Vol. IV: Compliance with the HWC MACT Standards” Ch.17.17Table 3-3: Elemental Composition of Fuel OilsDATA FROM LITERATURE5DATA FROM EPA/OAQPS SURVEYELEMENTUNITSNO. 1FUELOILAVGNO. 2FUELOILAVGNO. 4FUELOILAVGNO. 5FUELOILAVGNO. 6FUELOIL AVGNO.2-6FUELOIL4,5NO. 2FUEL OILAVG2,6,(RANGE)2NO. 4FUEL OILAVG2,3,6,(RANGE)2,3NO. 5FUEL OILAVG1,2,6(RANGE)1,2NO. 6 FUEL OILAVG2,6(RANGE)2DIESEL FUELAVG2,6(RANGE)2Carbon (C) ppm864,000 873,000 864,000 -850,000-870,000- 873,0007- - (850,000-870,000)7-Hydrogen(H) ppm136,000 126,000 117,000 -104,000-110,000- 126,0007- - (104,000-110,000)7-Oxygen (O) ppm100 400 2,700 -4,000-6,000- 4,0007- - (4,000-6,000)7-Nitrogen(N) ppm60 30 2,400 - 200-40060-2,800 37- -2250.000(2,000 - 3,000) -Sulfur (S) ppm900 2,200 13,500 -8,000-40,000900-40,0001366.667(1,300 -1,500) - 014619.167(14,370 - 14,900) -Chlorine(Cl) ppm--226.418(0. 5 -1,176)12.585(5 – 100)480.3(205.6 -7553) -43.273(19 - 104)Fluorine (F) ppm220-14.095(4 – 40)3850.769(5 - 50,000) - -24.455(19 - 37)Silver (Ag) ppm<2.3< 2.3 - - - < 2.3 -Arsenic (As) ppm<0.23< 0.232.532(0 - 10.6)0.200(0.05 – 2)0(0.03) < 0.230.493(0.4 - 0.5)Barium (Ba) ppm<23< 23 - - - < 23 -18Table 3-3: Elemental Composition of Fuel OilsDATA FROM LITERATURE5DATA FROM EPA/OAQPS SURVEYELEMENTUNITSNO. 1FUELOILAVGNO. 2FUELOILAVGNO. 4FUELOILAVGNO. 5FUELOILAVGNO. 6FUELOIL AVGNO.2-6FUELOIL4,5NO. 2FUEL OILAVG2,6,(RANGE)2NO. 4FUEL OILAVG2,3,6,(RANGE)2,3NO. 5FUEL OILAVG1,2,6(RANGE)1,2NO. 6 FUEL OILAVG2,6(RANGE)2DIESEL FUELAVG2,6(RANGE)2Beryllium(Be) ppm<1.2< 1.20.942(0 – 19)1.000(1.00)0.00(0.03) < 1.20.039(0.02 - 0.1)Cadmium(Cd) ppm<1.2< 1.20.559(0 -3.0225)1.000(1.00) 0.886 < 1.20.037(0.02 - 0.1)Cobalt (Co) ppm<4.6< 4.60.529(0.1 - 1.2)0.963(0.524 – 1)-(0.1981) < 4.60.020(0.02 - 0.02)Chromium(Cr) ppm<2.3< 2.317.622(0 - 1,310)1.000(1.00)1.23(0.981 -1.4691,3) < 2.30.179(0.1 - 0.2)Copper (Cu) ppm-- - --(0.3211) - -Iron (Fe) ppm-- - --(241) - -Mercury(Hg) ppm<0.25< 0.250.056(0.001 -0.192)0.047(0.008 -0.05)0(0.03) < 0.250.768(0.05 - 1)Manganese(Mn) ppm<1.2< 1.21.231(0 – 7)1.196(1 - 3.55)2.3895(0.248 -2.4671,3) < 1.20.127(0.05 - 0.5)Molybdenum (Mo) ppm-- - --(0.1171) - -Nickel (Ni) ppm4.7-1064.7-1062.564(0 – 29)1.627(1 - 9.15)1.991(0.10 -29.01,3) 4.7-1060.339(0.2 - 0.98)Phosphorus(P) ppm--7.926(0.01 – 20)36.792(1 - 429.2)-- -2.873(2.5 - 3)19Table 3-3: Elemental Composition of Fuel OilsDATA FROM LITERATURE5DATA FROM EPA/OAQPS SURVEYELEMENTUNITSNO. 1FUELOILAVGNO. 2FUELOILAVGNO. 4FUELOILAVGNO. 5FUELOILAVGNO. 6FUELOIL AVGNO.2-6FUELOIL4,5NO. 2FUEL OILAVG2,6,(RANGE)2NO. 4FUEL OILAVG2,3,6,(RANGE)2,3NO. 5FUEL OILAVG1,2,6(RANGE)1,2NO. 6 FUEL OILAVG2,6(RANGE)2DIESEL FUELAVG2,6(RANGE)2Lead (Pb) ppm7-577.0-57.02.359(0 - 8.4)1.212(1 - 3.75)10.425(8.249 -12.6013) 7.0-57.00.102(0.04 - 0.39)Antimony(Sb) ppm<12< 123.618(0.1 – 6)1.154(1 – 3) - < 120.049(0.04 - 0.05)Selenium(Se) ppm<0.23< 0.234.370(0 – 25)1.077(1 – 2)0.1575(0 - 0.3153) < 0.230.906(0.63 - 1)Thallium(Tl) ppm<23< 23 - - - < 23 -Vanadium(V) ppm-- - --(1521) - -Zinc (Zn) ppm-- - - (1.731) - -Notes:1. Irwin, R.J., M. VanMouwerik, L. Stevens, M.D. Seese, andW. Basham. 1997. Environmental Contaminants Encyclopedia. NationalPark Service, Water Resources Division,Fort Collins, Colorado.2. (a) United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards (OAQPS). 2010b. Emissions Database for Boilers and ProcessHeaters Containing Stack Test, CEM, & Fuel Analysis Data Reported under ICR No. 2286.01 and ICR No. 2286.03 (version 5), EPA Docket/Document Number EPA-HQ-OAR2002-0058-0789. April 30, 2010; (b) United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards (OAQPS). 2010. CISWI 2009Database Proposed Approach, EPA Docket/Document Number EPA-HQ-OAR-2003-0119-0045. April 13, 2010.3. Database reports both as received and drybasis values. These values are as received.4. Metals represent a range of values seen for a total of nineteen fuel oil #2, #4, and #6 samples during the development of the comparable fuel specifications in 1998.5. (a) Stultz & Kitto, eds, 1992 “Steam: It’s Generation and Use,” 40th Edition; (b) Perry, R.H., Green, D.W., Mahoney, J.O., “Perry’s Chemical Engineers’ Handbook, 1997,7th Edition, McGraw Hill; (c) USEPA, 1999 “Final Technical SupportDocument for Hazardous MACT Standards,” Vol. IV: Compliancewith the HWC MACT Standards” Ch.17.6. Some range values appeared high, so average values are presented.7. (a) Avallone & Baumeister (1987), USGS (2001), Davidson (1996), Fernandez-Martinez (2000), Stultz & Kitto (1992), Perry et al. (1997), USEPA (1999), Nourreddine (2007)

# 20 3.2 Other Petroleum Derivatives



# Petroleum Coke – Petroleum

coke is produced when vacuum

distillation residues from the

petroleum refining process are

sent through a coker where most

of the volatiles are burned off.

Petroleum coke may be called

delayed coke or fluid coke,

depending on the type of

process/reactor used. Table 3-4

provides an ultimate and

proximate analysis for petroleum

coke based on data from

Avallone & Baumeister and

Stultz & Kitto.

Petroleum coke is used as the

primary fuel or as supplementary

fuel in fluidized bed boilers as

well as a supplementary fuel in

pulverized coal boilers and

cyclone boilers. 23



# Table 3-4 also provides a detailed ash analysis for petroleum coke. 24 

# As indicated in the

table, nickel and vanadium levels are high si milar to the residual fuel oils because heavy

metals tend to concentrate in the heavier frac tion of crude oil from which petroleum coke

is produced.

23 

# Tilman, D.A., et al, 2004, “F uels of Opportunity, Elsevier.

24 

# Ibid. Table 3-4: Selected Anal y sis of Petroleum Coke Sam p les

# 21 Table 3-5: Composition of Refinery Gas

Table 3-6: Composition of Asphalt 

# Refinery Gas – Refinery gas is a

general term describing the noncondensable fractions from various

refinery processes, including

atmospheric distillation, coking,

reforming and cracking. These gases

are sometimes blended together and are

typically used by refineries for their

energy value.

The composition of refinery gas is

highly variable, although the primary

constituents are C1-C4 hydrocarbons 25



# (methane, ethane and propane in

particular). Table 3-3- presents

composition information for two

blended refinery gas samples and

composition data from a 2003 lifecycle emissions study. 26



# , 27



# Estimated heating values for refinery gas are on the order of 1300-1500 Btu/scf. On a

volume basis this is a little higher than natura l gas because refinery gas contains a greater

fraction of heavier gases.

Asphalts – Asphalt is made from the residue

that remains after the vacuum distillation

process at petroleum refineries. It has a

consistency ranging from a viscous liquid to a

glassy solid. 28 

# Table 3-4 presents an ultimate

analysis range for four asphalt samples. 29



# Impurities include sulfur, vanadium and nickel

and their reported concentrations are highly

dependent on the source crude. Heating

values for asphalt are on the order of 17,000-

18,000 Btu/lb. 30



# Asphalt is primarily used as a paving and

roofing material. Asphalt is also used in

25 

# Hydrocarbons with one to four carbon atoms.

26 

# Baukal & Schwartz, 2001, “The John Zink Combustion Handbook” CRC Press

27 

# Delucchi, M., 2003 “A Lifecycle Emissions Model: LifeCycle Emissions from Transportation Fuels,

Motor Vehicles, Transportation Modes, Electricity Us e, Heating and Cooking Fuels, and Materials., UCDITS-RR-03-17, available from http://www.repositories.cdlib.org/itsdavis

28 

# Speight, J.G. 2006, “The Chemistry a nd Technology of Petroleum,” CRC Press.

29 

# Wess, J., et al, 2004, “Asphalt (Bitumen), Concise International Assessment Document 59, World

Health Organization”

30 

# Cross, R., 1919, “A Handbook of Petroleum, Aspha lt, and Natural Gas” Kansas City Testing Laboratory.

# 22 asphalt-based paints, in lining irrigation canal s and water reservoirs, and in adhesives in

electrical laminates. 31 

# Although the use of asphalt as a fu el is not common, boilers have

been designed to burn asphalt. 32



# 4 Natural Gas

Natural gas is widely used by boilers due to its low content of ash, ease of

handling, and ease of combustion. In addition, na tural gas is a cleaner burning fuel than

other fossil fuels. The primary constituent of natural gas is methane. Other paraffinic

hydrocarbons such as ethane, propane, and butan e, as well as other diluents gases (e.g.,

nitrogen), may be also present. Table 4-1 presents the composition of natural gas, as

reported in the literature and from field sample s, and as reported to EPA as part of the

Clean Air Act Section 112 Boiler MACT rule making and the Section 129 rulemaking for

commercial and industrial solid waste incinerators.

31 

# Wess, op cit.

32 

# Hunt, P.J., et al, 1999, “Boile r Designs for Asphalt Fuels,” POWER-GEN ‘99 International, New

Orleans, Louisiana, November, 1999.23Table 4-1: Composition and Properties of Natural GasCONSTITUENTS, % BYVOLUMESELECTED SAMPLES OF NATURAL GASFROM U.S. FIELDS1EPA/OAQPS SURVEYAVERAGESDATA PRESENTED IN LITERATURE2PASO.CAOHLAOKNATURALGAS(AVG)3,4,5NATURALGAS(RANGE)3,4PIPELINEaINDUSTRYAVERAGEbBOILER FUELSAMPLESPIPELINESPECIFICATIONScHydrogen (H2) - - 1.82 - - - - - 0 - -Methane (CH4) 83.4 84 93.33 90 84.1 - - 86-95 94 - >75Ethylene (C2H4) - - 0.25 - - - - - - - -Ethane (C2H6) 15.8 14.8 - 5 6.7 - - 2.5-8.1 3.2 - <10Carbon Monoxide (CO) - - 0.45 - - - - - 0 - -Carbon Dioxide (CO2) - 0.7 0.22 - 0.8 - - 0-1.1 0.8 - <2-3Nitrogen (N2) 0.8 0.5 3.4 5 8.4 - - 0.31-2.5 0.9- <3Oxygen (O2) - - 0.35 - - - - - - - 1Hydrogen Sulfide (H2S) - - 0.18 - - - - - - - -Propane (C3H8) - - - - - - - 0.6-2.8 0.8 - <5Butane (C3H8) - - - - - - - 0.13-0.66 0.3 - <2TRACE ORGANICS, PPM BY VOLUMEBenzene (C6H6) - - - - - - - - - 3.1-8.3 -Toluene (C7H8) - - - - - - - - - 4.0-11.2 -ULTIMATE, % BY WEIGHT(elemental values not additive with the values above)Sulfur (S) - - 0.34 - - - - - - - -Hydrogen (H2) 23.53 23.3 23.2 22.68 20.85 - - - - - -Carbon (C) 75.25 74.72 69.12 69.26 64.84 - - - - - -Nitrogen (N2) 1.22 0.76 5.76 8.06 12.9 - - - - - -Oxygen (O2) - 1.22 1.58 - 1.41--- - - -24Table 4-1: Composition and Properties of Natural GasCONSTITUENTS, % BYVOLUMESELECTED SAMPLES OF NATURAL GASFROM U.S. FIELDS1EPA/OAQPS SURVEYAVERAGESDATA PRESENTED IN LITERATURE2PASO.CAOHLAOKNATURALGAS(AVG)3,4,5NATURALGAS(RANGE)3,4PIPELINEaINDUSTRYAVERAGEbBOILER FUELSAMPLESPIPELINESPECIFICATIONScULTIMATE, PPMBY WEIGHTArsenic (As) - - - - -72.40035.5 - 86.5- - - -Beryllium (Be) - - - - -32.78320.3 - 45.6- - - -Cadmium (Cd) - - - - -4.6833.6 - 8.3- - - -Chlorine (Cl) - - - - -2598.6672140 - 2870- - - -Chromium (Cr) - - - - -227.400164.3 -274.6- - - -Lead (Pb) - - - - -64.66755.2 - 78.2- - - -Manganese (Mn) - - - - -142.483102.4 -165.5- - - -Mercury (Hg) - - - - -0.0360.022 -0.051- - - -Nickel (Ni) - - - - -259.683179.5 -328.6- - - -Selenium (Se) - - - - -0.0400.01 - 0.08- - - -Heat Value (Btu/cubicfoot)-------1020-1090--950-1150Specific Gravity-------0.59-0.64---Notes:1. Benoit, Michel R., public comment in response to EPA’s Proposed Rulemaking for Identification of Non-Hazardous Materials That Are Solid Waste, EPAdocket EPA-HQ-RCRA-2008-0329, submitted on behalf of the CementKiln Recycling Coalition, August 3, 20102. (a) Perry, R.H., Green, D.W., Mahoney, J.O., “Perry’s ChemicalEngineers’ Handbook,” 1997, 7th Edition, McGraw Hill; (b) Delucchi, M., 2003 “A Lifecycle Emissions Model:LifeCycle Emissions from Transportation Fuels, Motor Vehicles, Transportation Modes, Electricity Use, Heating and Cooking Fuels, and Materials.,” UCD-ITS-RR-03-17, available fromhttp://www.repositories.cdlib.org/itsdavis.(c) Kidnay, A.J., et al, 2006 “Fundamentalsof Natural Gas Processing” CRC Press.3. (a) United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards (OAQPS). 2010b. Emissions Database for Boilers and Process HeatersContaining Stack Test, CEM, & Fuel Analysis Data Reportedunder ICR No. 2286.01 and ICR No. 2286.03 (version 5), EPA Docket/Document Number EPA-HQ-OAR-2002-0058-0789. April30, 2010; (b) United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards (OAQPS). 2010. CISWI 2009 Database Proposed Approach, EPADocket/Document Number EPA-HQ-OAR-2003-0119-0045. April 13, 2010.4. Database reports both as received and drybasis values. These values are on a dry basis.5. Some range values appeared high, so average values are presented.

# 25 Heating Value: The heating value of natural gas, like its composition, varies by region

but usually is in the range from 950-1150 Btu per cubic feet. Diluents include carbon

dioxide and nitrogen.

Impurities: Trace contaminants found in natural gas include hydrogen sulfide and other

sulfur compounds. If naturally occurring le vels are high, these compounds are removed

using various processes because most pipelin e specifications limit the level of sulfur

compounds that may be cont ained in pipeline gas. 33 

# Other impurities may include

mercury in very low levels. As Table 4-1 indicates, mercury levels are well below one

part per billion (ppbv) for pipe line specifications and below one part per million in gas

samples analyzed by units surveyed by EPA’s Office of Air Quality Planning and

Standards. 34 

# Trace levels of odorants (eg. mercaptans) are often added to pipeline gas,

which allows natural gas leaks to be easily detected.

Trace organics : Only limited information on the organics content of natural gas was

readily available. The one organics anal ysis identified examined volatile organics

concentrations in natural gas samples from three California utility plants. 35 

# Only two 40

CFR 261 Appendix VIII hazardous organics were detected. (See Table 4-1).

5 Wood

Wood is burned primarily in industries where wood residues are obtained as a byproduct. 36



# Table 5-1 shows the properties of wood on a dr y basis and an ash analysis based on data

from various sources. Wood has a lower carbon content and a much higher oxygen

content compared to coal. Tables 5-2 pr ovides a proximate analysis for wood, while

Table 5-3 presents information on th e organic compounds present in wood.

Heating values for wood (on a dry basis) are in the range 8000-9000 Btu/lb. Wet wood

can have a significantly lower heating value. As indicated in Table 5-1, the sulfur

content of wood is relatively low. Trace meta ls in wood may include lead and cadmium.

33 

# Natural gas with a high level of hydrogen sulfide is called sour gas.

34 

# Kidnay, A.J., et al, 2006 “Fundamentals of Natural Gas Processing” CRC Press; U.S. EPA, Office of Air

Quality Planning and Standards (OAQPS). Emi ssions Database for Boilers and Process Heaters

Containing Stack Test, CEM, & Fuel Analysis Data Reported under ICR No. 2286.01 and ICR No. 2286.03

(version 5), EPA Docket/Document Number EPA-HQ-OAR-2002-0058-0789. April 30, 2010; and U.S.

EPA, Office of Air Quality Planni ng and Standards (OAQPS). CISWI 2009 Database Proposed Approach,

EPA Docket/Document Number EPA-HQ-OAR-2003-0119-0045. April 13, 2010.

35 

# Chow, W., & Conner, K.K., 1993, “Managing Hazardou s Air Pollutants: State of the Art, CRC Press.

36 

# USEPA, 2003, AP-42, Ch.1.6, “Wood Residue Combustion in Boilers”,

http://www.epa.gov/ttn/chief/a p42/ch01/final/c01s06.pdf , accessed Nov 2008.26Table 5-1: Propertiesof Wood (Dry Basis)Data from LiteratureData from EPA/OAQPS SurveyCOMPONENTUNITSUNTREATEDWOOD1,2VIRGINWOOD7WOODCHIPS(SPRUCE)3BARK(SPRUCE)3STRAW(WHEAT,RYE,BARLEY)3WOOD:UNADULTERATEDLUMBER(AVG)4,6WOOD:UNADULTERATEDLUMBER(RANGE)4WOOD:UNADULTERATEDTIMBER(AVG)4,6WOOD:UNADULTERATEDTIMBER(RANGE)4WOOD:BARK(AVG)4,6WOOD:BARK(RANGE)4WOOD,DRYBASIS5Carbon (C)mg/kg(ppm)424,000 -597,000 233,000 - - - - - - - - -500,000-530,000Hydrogen (H)mg/kg(ppm)45,500 -89,000 29,000 - - - - - - - - -51,000-57,000Oxygen (O)mg/kg(ppm)331,000 -525,000 175,000 - - - - - - - - -380,000-420,000Nitrogen (N)mg/kg(ppm)200 -42,800 9,000 - - - - -- -3355.5562,400 -4,300 -Sulfur (S)mg/kg(ppm) 0 - 8,800 2,000 - - - - - - - 154.94262.7 -267 -Chlorine (Cl)mg/kg(ppm)0 -11,890 - - - - 193.6670.01 -1,600 132.3753 0.012 - 414 86.580 -474,0008-Fluorine (F)mg/kg(ppm) 0 - 490 - - - - 14.667 10 - 20 27.625 20 - 50 31.190 15 - 128 -Bromine (Br)mg/kg(ppm) - - - - - - - - - - - -Aluminum(Al)mg/kg(ppm)0.4 -5,620 - 79-580 330-1,500 11-810 - - - - - - -Arsenic (As)mg/kg(ppm) 0 - 6.80.001585 0-1.5 0.2-5 1.6 21.137 0.12 - 140 32.792 0.3 - 1,180 6.584 0 - 1,180 -Boron (B)mg/kg(ppm) 2 - 37 0.2725 - - - - - - - - - -Barium (Ba)mg/kg(ppm) 1.2 - 540 - - - - - - - - - - -Beryllium(Be)mg/kg(ppm) - - - - - 32.506 0 - 290 0.811 0.01 - 22 0.291 0 - 29 -Calcium (Ca)mg/kg(ppm)800 -52,000 - 2,900-7,0007,700-18,000440-7,000 - - - - - - -Cadmium(Cd)mg/kg(ppm) 0 - 3 0.134 0.06-0.4 0.2-0.9 0.03-0.22 8.169 0.01 - 140 5.117 0.01 - 205 0.797 0 - 205 -Cobalt (Co)mg/kg(ppm) 0.1 - 24 - - - - 0 0 0.912 0.1 - 11.8 17.1680.09 -213 -Chromium(Cr)mg/kg(ppm) 0.3 - 130 0.1305 1.6-17 1.6-14 1.1-4.1 61.941 0 - 960 494.5950.14 -25,100 40.3950 -17,800 -Copper (Cu)mg/kg(ppm) 0.3 - 400 0.00965 0.3-4.1 105-8.0 1.1-4.2 - - - - - - -Iron (Fe)mg/kg(ppm) 6 - 3,600 - 64-340 280-1,200 42-850 - - - - - - -27Table 5-1: Propertiesof Wood (Dry Basis)Data from LiteratureData from EPA/OAQPS SurveyCOMPONENTUNITSUNTREATEDWOOD1,2VIRGINWOOD7WOODCHIPS(SPRUCE)3BARK(SPRUCE)3STRAW(WHEAT,RYE,BARLEY)3WOOD:UNADULTERATEDLUMBER(AVG)4,6WOOD:UNADULTERATEDLUMBER(RANGE)4WOOD:UNADULTERATEDTIMBER(AVG)4,6WOOD:UNADULTERATEDTIMBER(RANGE)4WOOD:BARK(AVG)4,6WOOD:BARK(RANGE)4WOOD,DRYBASIS5Mercury (Hg)mg/kg(ppm) 0 - 2 0.197 0.01-0.17 0.01-0.17 0.01 0.0188 0 - 0.411 1.5220.0005 -100 1.8800 -120.87 -Potassium(K)mg/kg(ppm)88 -7,300 - 910-1,5001,500-3,600320-21,000 - - - - - - -Magnesium(Mg)mg/kg(ppm)107 -6,100 - 310-800 960-2,400100-3,200 - - - - - - -Manganese(Mn)mg/kg(ppm) 7.9 - 840 - 63-900 430-1,300 14-44 5424.5987.5 -88,000 2497.049.54 -122,0005024.1832 -425,652 -Molybdenum(Mo)mg/kg(ppm) 0.2 - 25 - 0.8-1.5 0.1-5 0.9-1.1 - - - - - - -Sodium (Na)mg/kg(ppm) 3 - 3,600 - 20-110 71-530 56-4,800 - - - - - - -Nickel (Ni)mg/kg(ppm) 0.4 - 540 0.183 1.7-11 1.6-13 0.7-2.1 50.8540.13 -1019 283.8580.06 -14,400 24.9830 -10,400 -Phosphorus(P)mg/kg(ppm)29 -1,500 - 97-340 380-670110-2,900 208.583 137 - 330 134.5375 73.7 - 235 266.11586.9 -3,190 -Lead (Pb)mg/kg(ppm) 0.2 - 340 0.3255 0.3-2.7 0.9-4.4 0.1-3 37.8880.033 -510 113.718 0.2 - 4,690 3.083 0 - 189 -Antimony(Sb)mg/kg(ppm) 0 - 26 - - - - 0.375 0.1 - 0.9 - -0.666 0.08 - 6 -Selenium(Se)mg/kg(ppm)0.1 -20.60.000075 - - - 65.725 0 - 580 87.840 0.06 - 2,420 348.0720 -23,899.08 -Silicon (Si)mg/kg(ppm)1 -48,000 - 440-2,9002,000-11,0004,200-27,000 - - - - - - -Tin (Sn)mg/kg(ppm) 0.1 - 10 - - - - - - - - - - -Strontium(Sr)mg/kg(ppm) 4 - 49 - - - - - - - - - - -Tellurium(Te)mg/kg(ppm) 1 - 20 - - - - - - - - - - -Titanium (Ti)mg/kg(ppm) 1.3 - 210 - - - - - - - - - - -Vanadium (V)mg/kg(ppm) 0.1 - 23 - 0.6-1.4 0.6-5 0.2-3 - - - - - - -Zinc (Zn)mg/kg(ppm) 2.2 - 303 - 7.0-90 90-280 11.0-57 - - - - - - -28Table 5-1: Propertiesof Wood (Dry Basis)Data from LiteratureData from EPA/OAQPS SurveyCOMPONENTUNITSUNTREATEDWOOD1,2VIRGINWOOD7WOODCHIPS(SPRUCE)3BARK(SPRUCE)3STRAW(WHEAT,RYE,BARLEY)3WOOD:UNADULTERATEDLUMBER(AVG)4,6WOOD:UNADULTERATEDLUMBER(RANGE)4WOOD:UNADULTERATEDTIMBER(AVG)4,6WOOD:UNADULTERATEDTIMBER(RANGE)4WOOD:BARK(AVG)4,6WOOD:BARK(RANGE)4WOOD,DRYBASIS5Notes:All values presented on a dry basis. n.m. = not measured1. Phyllis, database for biomass and waste, http://www.ecn.nl/phyllis, Energy research Centre of the Netherlands2. All figures reported as the average composition of a group of untreated wood materials. Materials include Bark, beech, birch, cork, fir/pine/spruce, leaves, needles, oak, otherhard wood, other soft wood, others park waste wood, poplar, tropical hard wood, and willow.3. Van Loo, Sjaak and Koppejan, Jaap. "The Handbook of Biomass Combustion & Co-firing." Earthscan Publishing, 2008. Pp 44-55.4. (a) United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards (OAQPS). 2010b. Emissions Database for Boilers and Process HeatersContaining Stack Test, CEM, & Fuel Analysis Data Reportedunder ICR No. 2286.01 and ICR No. 2286.03 (version 5), EPA Docket/Document Number EPA-HQ-OAR-2002-0058-0789. April30, 2010; (b) United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards (OAQPS). 2010. CISWI 2009 Database Proposed Approach, EPADocket/Document Number EPA-HQ-OAR-2003-0119-0045. April 13, 2010.5. Stultz & Kitto, eds, 1992 “Steam: It’sGeneration and Use,” 40th Edition.6. Some range values appeared infeasibly high, so average values are presented.7. Jambeck, et al. (2007)8. The maximum chlorine value reported for bark reflects a limited number of units that reported chlorine values of 100 poundsper MMBtu of bark burned. These outlier units mayhave been reporting a detection limit, as the 95thpercentile of the reported chlorine values for bark is 1,450 ppm. Because the high-end outlier values may be overestimates, theaverage chlorine value reported in the table is a median value rather than the mean value.

# 29 Table 5-2: Promiate Wood Analysis and Wood Ash

Analysis

PROXIMATE

ANALYSIS UNITS UNTREATED

WOOD 1 

# WOOD,

DRY

BASIS 2



# Water content wt% 1 - 71.2 -

Volatiles wt% 54.9 - 94.9 70-76

Ash wt% 0 - 39.4 -

Fixed Carbon wt% - 19-27

Ash Composition (% of

Ash)

Silicon Dioxide wt% - 11.0-39

Aluminum Oxide wt% - 0.1-14

Ferric Oxide wt% - 3.0-6.4

Calcium Oxide wt% - 6.0-64

Sodium Oxide wt% - 1.3-13

Notes:

1. Phyllis, database for biomass and waste,

http://www.ecn.nl/phyllis, Energy research Centre of the

Netherlands

2. Stultz & Kitto, eds, 1992 “Steam: It’s Generation and Use,”

40th Edition.

# 30 Table 5-3: Organic Components of Wood

Compound 

# wt.%

Cellulose 8.8 - 82.5

Hemicellulose 5.5 - 43.5

Lignine 4.1 - 50

Lignin Acid Insoluble 19 - 28

Lignin Acid Soluble 0 - 5

Lipids 2 - 17.8

Proteine 0 - 20.1

Extractives (EtOH/toluene) 0.8 - 6.5

Extractives 95% (EtOH) 0.3 - 3.2

Extractives Hot Water 1 - 16.4

Starch 1.7 - 1.7

Pectin 4.4 - 6.1

Arabinan C5 0 - 2

Xylan C5 3.4 - 27.7

Mannan C6 0 - 14.4

Galactan C6 0 - 4.4

Glucan C6 34.6 - 56

Rhamnan C6 0.1 - 0.4

Total non-structural carbohydrates 26.5 - 26.5

Notes: All values presented on a dry basis. n.m. = not measured

1. Phyllis, database for biomass and waste, http://www.ecn.nl/phyllis,

Energy research Centre of the Netherlands

2. All figures reported as the average composition of a group of

untreated wood materials. Materials include Bark, beech, birch, cork,

fir/pine/spruce, leaves, needles, oak, other hard wood, other soft wood,

others park waste wood, poplar, tropical hard wood, and willow.

# 31 References

1. Avallone, E.A., & Baumeister, T.(eds), “Mark’s Standard Handbook for Mechanical

Engineers,” 9 th 

# Edition, 1987, p 7-19.

2. Baukal & Schwartz, 2001, “The John Zink Combustion Handbook” CRC Press.

3. Benoit, Michel R., public comment in re sponse to EPA’s Proposed Rulemaking for

Identification of Non-Hazardous Materials That Are Solid Waste, EPA docket EPA-HQRCRA-2008-0329, submitted on behalf of the Ceme nt Kiln Recycling Coalition, August 3,

2010.

4. Bragg, L., et al, USGS Coal Quality (COALQUAL) Database: Version 2.0,

http://energy.er.usgs.gov/products /databases/CoalQual/index.htm , accessed Nov 2008.

5. Chow, W., & Conner, K.K., 1993, “Managing H azardous Air Pollutants: State of the Art,

CRC Press.

6. Cross, R., 1919, “A Handbook of Petroleum, Asphalt, and Natural Gas” Kansas City

Testing Laboratory.

7. Culp, A.W., 1979, “Principles of Energy Conversion,” McGraw Hill.

8. Davidson, R. A., “Trace Elements in Coal” 1996, Energeia, v.7, No.3, University of

Kentucky, Center for Applied Research.

9. Delucchi, M., 2003 “A Lifecycle Emissions Model: LifeCycle Emissions from

Transportation Fuels, Motor Vehicles, Transpor tation Modes, Electricity Use, Heating and

Cooking Fuels, and Materials., UCD-ITS-RR-03-17, available from

http://www.repositories.cdlib.org/itsdavis

. 10. Fernandez-Martinez , G., et al, 2000, “Det ermination of Volatile Organic Compounds in

Coal, Fly Ash, and Slag Samples by Direct Thermal Desorption/GC/MS, Analusis, v 28, pp

953-959.

11. Gupta, C.K., 2006, Chemical Metallurgy: Principles and Practice,Wiley-VCH.

12. Hunt, P.J., et al, 1999, “Boiler Designs for Asphalt Fuels,” POWER-GEN ‘99 International

New Orleans, Louisiana, November, 1999.

13. Irwin, R.J., M. VanMouwerik, L. Stevens, M.D. Seese, and W. Basham. 1997.

Environmental Contaminants Encyclopedia . National Park Service, Water Resources

Division, Fort Collins, Colorado.

14. Jambeck, Jenna, Carpenter, Alberta, Gardner, Kevin. "University of New Hampshire LifeCycle Assessment of C&D Derived Biosma ss/Wood Waste Management" Environmental

Research Group. UNH, Durham, NH. December 5, 2007.

15. Kidnay, A.J., et al, 2006 “Fundamentals of Natural Gas Processing” CRC Press.

16. Kohl, A., et al, 1997 “Gas Purificati on,” Gulf Professional Publications.

17. Nourreddine M (2007) Recycling of auto shredder residue. J Hazard Mater 139:481–490.

18. Ocean Surveys Etc., 2005, Site Demonstr ation of the AQUABLOKTM Sediment Capping

Technology, http://www.hsrc-ssw.org/6MonthAppH.pdf , accessed November 2008.

19. Perry, R.H., Green, D.W., Mahoney, J.O., “Perry’s Chemical Engineers’ Handbook, 1997,

7 th 

# Edition, McGraw Hill.

20. Phyllis, database for biomass and waste, h ttp://www.ecn.nl/phyllis, Energy research Centre

of the Netherlands.

21. Skov, E.R., et al, “Coal Tar Chemicals a nd Syncrude Oil Production from Low-Rank Coals

using Mild-Temperature Pyrolysis,” Proc of AICHE Spring National Meeting, Houston,

TX, April 2007. AICHE Session 16002.

22. Speight, J.G. 2006, “The Chemistry and Technology of Petroleum,” CRC Press.

23. Stultz & Kitto, eds, 1992 “Steam : It’s Generation and Use,” 40 th 

# Edition.

24. Tilman, D.A., et al, 2004, “Fuels of Opportunity, Elsevier.

25. US DOE, EIA, http://www.eia.doe.gov/cneaf/coal/reserves/reserves.html , Accessed Nov

2008.

# 32 26. USEPA, 2003, AP-42, Ch.1.6, “Wood Residue Combustion in Boilers”,

http://www.epa.gov/ttn/chief/ap42/ch01/final/c01s06.pdf , accessed Nov 2008.

27. USEPA, “AP 42: Compilation of Air Pollution Emissions Factors, Vol I: Stationary Point

and Area Sources,” 5 th 

# Edition, 1995, Ch.1.3 Fuel Oil Combustion.

28. USEPA, 1999 “Final Technical Support Document for Hazardous MACT Standards,” Vol.

IV: Compliance with the HWC MACT Standards” Ch.17.

29. USEPA, Office of Air Quality Planning a nd Standards (OAQPS). 2010. CISWI 2009

Database Proposed Approach, EPA Dock et/Document Number EPA-HQ-OAR-2003-0119-

0045. April 13, 2010.

30. USEPA, Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards (OAQPS). 2010b. Emissions

Database for Boilers and Process Heaters Containing Stack Test, CEM, & Fuel Analysis

Data Reported under ICR No. 2286.01 and ICR No. 2286.03 (version 5), EPA

Docket/Document Number EPA-HQ-OAR-2002-0058-0789. April 30, 2010.

31. US Geological Survey, 2001 “Mercury in Coal- Abundance, Distribution, and Modes of

Occurrence, USGS Fact Sheet FS-095-01.

32. Van Loo, Sjaak and Koppejan, Jaap. "T he Handbook of Biomass Combustion & Cofiring." Earthscan Publis hing, 2008. Pp 44-55.

33. Wess, J., et al, 2004, “Asphalt (Bitumen), C oncise International Assessment Document 59,

World Health Organization.”